YOUNGSTOWN Panel ponders parks move

An official said the matter is more an internal issue.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The parks department handles many construction contracts. That has the city charter review commission pondering possibilities.
Commission members quizzed Carmen Conglose Jr., city deputy director of public works, Thursday about moving parks staff and operations under his department. Public works also handles many construction contracts.
Potential for problems
Conglose said moving the parks department to public works might cause problems. His office of six workers couldn't oversee so many contracts, he said. Public works has enough of its own contracts to handle, he said. He wasn't sure if moving park staff to public works would provide enough help.
The parks department seems to do a reasonable job handling its own contracts, he said.
Conglose said he thinks the matter is more of an internal, administrative issue than a charter review item.
Parks Director Joseph McRae wasn't available to comment Thursday. McRae is invited to speak at the next charter commission meeting. The commission is meeting with all city departments.
Appointments
Dave Palombaro, a charter review member, questioned why common pleas court judges get two park board appointments but the mayor and council get only one each. The city school board gets the fifth appointment.
The city should have more control, Palombaro said.
"It just boggles my mind," he said.
Appointments that include the courts aren't uncommon, said city Law Director John McNally IV. Courts have appointments under other park-related boards, such as Mill Creek Park, he said.
There also was a discussion about the relationship the city health district has with the rest of city government. The health district is tied to the city but, under state law, has more autonomy than regular departments.
Health merger
Talk turned to health commissioner Neil Altman's support for a merger with the Mahoning County Health District, though no move is in the works. The topic is moot for the charter commission, said city Law Director John McNally IV. The charter can't address a merger, he said.
There are two recent changes to the makeup of the review commission.
Mayor George M. McKelvey has appointed Laureen Scahill of Glen Oaks Drive. The seat was vacant after McKelvey's first choice, Robert Cramb, resigned to run for council, though he never ended up on the primary ballot.
Another McKelvey pick, the Rev. Michael Harrison, has resigned, citing his schedule. The Rev. Mr. Harrison didn't attend the past few meetings.
rgsmith@vindy.com